Glee Actor, Kevin McHale, Won’t Play Artie Again

Glee star, Kevin McHale, the actor who plays Artie, will not be appearing as his original character. Much to the fans’ dismay, the actor has refused to play his character if the reboot of the show does happen. Now, it has yet to be confirmed if the reboot will ever happen of the Fox series. Though, in this time when reboots are quite popular – there is a high possibility that it can happen!

Before delving into the reasons why McHale would make such a statement, let’s look into the show itself. Here we will be exploring the themes of the show, its characters, and their dynamics. Finally, we will dive into the reason behind McHale’s decision.

What Was the Show Glee About?

The Fox network broadcast the American musical comedy television program Glee from 2009 from 2015. It attracted a devoted fan base because of its creative blending of widely sardonic humor, moving drama, and exciting musical presentations.

The dramatization of the struggles of a glee club—technically a performance choir—at the fictitious William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio, was the focus of Glee. It was co-created by creators Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan, and Brad Falchuk. Will Schuester, a likable young instructor, is the conductor of the New Directions choir. He does so by assuming the position of the choir’s leader when the previous one is sacked.

The frequently tense relationships between the members of the club served as the inspiration for many of the show’s storylines. Moreover, Will’s attempts to inspire the pupils in a round of contests against competing choirs also became an important source for the plot. The club had succeeded admirably enough by the conclusion of the third season to take first place in the national show-choir championships. The continuous story was also propelled by Will’s private life.

He managed a connection with Emma Pillsbury, a school guidance counselor. This happens all while Will is experiencing a divorce. It appears that despite numerous setbacks, their relationship ultimately resulted in marriage. Enter Sue Sylvester. She is the crazy, sharp-tongued cheerleading instructor (and eventually, school administrator). This character takes several steps to harm Will and the choir. Though, her acts served as comedic entertainment throughout the entire series.

By the fourth season of Glee, a number of the New Directions members had managed to graduate from McKinley High. Despite this, the show continued to introduce fresh characters. Although, it also kept a following of their lives outside of Lima.

Music

The fact that each episode featured multiple songs sung by the group was perhaps Glee’s most defining feature. For many viewers, this feature was its main draw. Although there have been other attempts at written musical series on television. Though, none have achieved the same level of critical and audience popularity as Glee. The majority of the songs on Glee were covers of well-known songs. These songs originated from a variety of musical genres. This included Broadway show tunes, classic rock anthems, and modern pop successes.

As a result, each episode normally included a variety of musical selections. However, some were centered around particular artists, such as Britney Spears or Madonna. The iTunes Store started selling separate tracks from each episode during the same week it aired starting in the first season of the show. Millions of digital recordings were sold as a result of this marketing campaign. Furthermore, numerous tunes with cast credit reached the Billboard Hot 100 chart as a result.

While few stayed more than a week, the Glee cast beat Elvis Presley’s milestone. This milestone was 108 total chart appearances in 2011. Several classic audio track recordings were also made available.

Awards

The Golden Globe Award for top television humor or musical series was one of many honors Glee received throughout the course of its run, which spanned its initial two seasons. The Glee Project (2011–12), a reality network program that acted as an application for a repeating part in the show helped the show expand its brand. This was further expanded by the 2011 theatrical release Glee. In addition, the 3D Concert Movie, filmed a live concert tour including members of the Glee cast that enhanced the brand name.

Characters

Artie Abrams (Kevin McHale), a charmingly naive paraplegic, and the trendy but arrogant Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer) were among the group when the series first began. This also included Mercedes Jones (Amber Riley), an African American girl with a tremendous voice. Given its usually unfavorable status at the school, New Directions quickly attracted other pupils. New additions incorporated Quinn Fabray (Dianna Agron), the leader of the cheerleading squad, and famous quarterback Finn Hudson (Cory Monteith) of the football team.

Why Did the Glee Actor Refuse to Play the Wheelchair Character?

Kevin McHale portrays the wheelchair-using character Artie Abrams in the television show “Glee.” Given the fact that McHale does not regularly use a wheelchair, many disability groups and others feel that a more qualified actor should have been selected for the role. There are many opposing viewpoints on the matter. However, regardless of the fact that they had a disability or not, the individual who best suited the role was selected. Glee producers did consider actors who are constantly in wheelchairs. Many people believe they should have taken advantage of the chance to employ a person with a legitimate disability who perfectly matches the position.

Robert David Hall, a cast member of CBS, believes that there was a fear of casting a person with an actual disability. The fear of litigation that the disabled actor might slow the production. Or the fear that the audience might get uncomfortable. Other prominent directors suggest that casting such actors would increase the overall budget. For instance, if a deaf person is cast then a translator would be required for them. This obviously would heighten the cost. Though, on the contrary, by giving a disabled character the spotlight – they certainly made more money that could have easily covered the expense. Plus, it was a morally right thing to do so.

Considering all of this backlash, McHale has decided not to return as his original wheelchair character. This does not mean that he won’t be in the reboot at all. The actor says that he is up for any other character!

Conclusion

Do you think that a person with a disability should be hired? Or do you think the person who is the best fit for the role should be hired? Regardless, we believe that representations on that screen play a huge role. In the future, it wouldn’t hurt if we get to see an actual disabled person being cast.